Explosions In The Sky
by Depraved Doll
Summary: He didn’t want to believe that it was Zack but he couldn’t force himself to believe the doubt he tried to place in his mind, he was Zack Fair and the man didn’t remember him at all... Clack
1. Chapter 1

_**Explosions In The Sky**_

_**Summary- **__He didn't want to believe that it was Zack but he couldn't force himself to believe the doubt he tried to place in his mind, he was Zack Fair and the man didn't remember him at all, Clack_

_**Disclaimer- **__They are not mine unfortunately, I would have so much fun if they were ^_^_

_**Rating- **__M ^_^_

"_Hello Zack, remember me... I wouldn't get too comfortable; death does not receive you yet..." That smile, the beautiful haunting thing that it was would surely become ingrained in the other's eyes, all he really knew what that it didn't hurt anymore; above all he was grateful of that. _

Cloud hadn't been able to shake the nightmares no matter how hard he had tried, the only thing he found affective was to avoid sleep, Tifa's eyes were haunted with worry, he was becoming distant again, barely ever around, lost in a memory. His eyes gravitated towards the sword rusted on the rock face high above as Fenrir roared past, his heart clenched, seemed to grind to a stop, he groaned grasping the skin covering the organ as images flashed before his eyes. His senses returned to him just in time to stop him from crashing into a nearby rock, the bike swerved and the rocks grazed his leg as he allowed it to get too close to the ground.

He sighed as he rolled to a stop, breathing deeply, he removed his glasses, ran a hand across his face, something wasn't right he was sure of that, he slid the glasses back over his eyes, someone was watching him he could feel it. He had decided to go for a drive, he could stand the looks from Tifa no longer and work had slowed up considerably. There was a flash of black in front of him, there and gone in a heartbeat, he wondered momentarily if it were his mind playing tricks on him, still he raised his guard, eyes narrowing, there was a man to his left, dressed in red and so familiar, he couldn't pinpoint the name, it got lost on his tongue, he too was gone when Cloud turned to get a better look.

He sped up hoping to reach the next town and get out of the open; he figured it would be easier to defend himself if there was more shelter. A glimpse of red again and his mind felt like it was in overdrive searching for something just out of reach, his heart raced in his chest, adrenalin pumping, his gloved hands gripped the bike handles tightly, so tight he was surprised they hadn't snapped yet.

"_We're friends right..." _

He gripped his chest, the feeling immobilising; he ground his teeth together hard, so hard he swore he could taste blood in his mouth. Still he pressed on, pushing Fenrir to her limits, she growled beneath him and he prayed for just a little bit more, the city gates loomed in the distance, a horrid flash of grey and black on an otherwise beige landscape.

"_You're my... living ... legacy," _

His own screams echoed in his eyes and he shook his head in an attempt to block it out, when he turned his attention back to the sand before him a ghost stood in his path. Cloud's eyes were wide, jet black hair, shimmering violet that had never failed to stall Cloud's breath, the uniform of a SOLDIER maybe slightly modified. He got close, the apparition didn't falter, something told him he had to stop, Fenrir skidded dangerously close to the ghost, Cloud tumbling after it, the rocks grazed and grabbed at his skin, shredding it, the blonde groaned finding himself in front of two black boots.

He gritted his teeth and rolled over looking up, there was no doubt in his mind that it was Zack who stood over him, he looked the same as always had and yet different, something in his eyes was wrong.

"Z...Zack?" Cloud held up his hand reaching out to his friend, the limb shook as he extended it, violet eyes narrowed, the boot connected with his ribs before he could even fully comprehend the action. The blonde hit a rock some way off, groaned and coughed up a small amount of blood, the violet eyes that met him were harsh and unforgiving, briefly they flickered to warmth and laughter but it was soon shook off. A gloved fist connected with the blonde's jaw, Cloud stumbled backwards finding his footing, just.

"It's not you... you're dead.... it's a trick" Cloud ground out rushing towards the other male who jumped out of the way easily, he smirked a horrid reflection of something that had once made Cloud's heart soar, _this is wrong so terribly wrong, _Cloud's eyes were wide as he spun round to face the other male, the cold blade bit into his shoulder, tearing through as easy as a knife would slip through butter, the blonde swallowed the scream before it could be torn from his lips.

"Does it feel like a trick to you...Cloud?" He didn't sound like Zack in that instance, the honey soft voice replaced by a deeper brogue, _Sephiroth, _the eyes morphed, the hair lightened, lengthened, all imagination, a wish maybe, the image kept fading back to Zack. Zack Fair the first class SOLDIER that had changed Cloud's life, inspired him, made him laugh, cry, work to be exactly like him. The same Zack Fair now stood before him with a sword lodged in Cloud's shoulder and didn't bat an eyelid, then there was the sword, thinner, not as big as the one wedged in the rock side, not the Buster Sword, one from before perhaps.

"That's enough Fair, leave the boy," the voice seemed distant, "he'll see us again soon," there was a chuckle and Zack's eyes rolled as he tugged on the hilt of the sword, freeing Cloud from his blade, the boy lurched forward, he tried to grab Zack, there were tears that threatened to spill, he couldn't walk away, not like this, it was all wrong. His heart burned where it was lodged in his throat,

"Zack!" Bright blue eyes stared up at him desperation laced in with the Mako, for a moment the violet wavered staring down at the boy the blood seeping from his shoulder, a gloved hand extended towards him and for a moment another similarly gloved hand moved to meet it, the violet narrowed and the hand retracted in confusion. The heavy black boots started to walk past him Cloud grit his teeth and struggled to push himself to his feet. "I'm... I'm not letting you walk away..." the blonde stuttered, tumbling forward, tendrils of blue erupted from a gloved hand, snaking towards Cloud where it encircled him, he suddenly found he could barely keep his eyes open but he fought it with everything he had.

In the end he couldn't grip to the pictures as they blurred and faded to black in his eyes, the last thing he saw rivalled a memory that already existed in his mind, he was reaching out and Zack was walking away from him and Cloud screamed as the world disappeared and he collapsed into the sand.

_XxxxXxxxX_

It was dark when he woke, the bed was soft and warm, the blanket perhaps a bit too tight and for a moment Cloud let himself fall into the belief that it had all been another nightmare. It was the pain radiating from his shoulder that caused him to realise the truth and all he could think of was Zack. He immediately ripped the blankets from him and stood; ignoring the burn in his shoulder he pulled his shirt on heading for the door. Tifa stood on the other side, arms crossed and eyes like fire, he would have rolled his eyes but she more than likely would have slapped him.

"Cloud Strife where do you think you're going? What the hell even happened to you? I've been so worried," her words faded from harsh and angry to small and worried in a matter of vowels. Cloud hated to see her so downtrodden, she always looked so hopeless in instances such as these, like she was dealing with a two-year old child and was at the end of her tether. He didn't answer and she stormed past to sit on the bed, Cloud wanted to run but he thought it best to hear her out. "Was a good thing Vincent was going the way he was or you'd have been dinner for a couple of Fangs out there, Fenrir's scratched the hell out of, I've sent her in to be fixed." She didn't look up to meet his eyes, stared at her hands.

Cloud went to speak, swallowed the words soon after, what did she want him to say, the truth? He wasn't even sure what the truth was, he had looked like Zack, sounded like him, there really was no doubt in Cloud's mind that it had been him yet he tried to convince himself otherwise... _Zack's dead remember... your fault... you're not a hero..._

He closed his eyes to the words that swum through his head, glanced from Tifa to the open door and then back again, he wanted nothing more than to run, to get out of here and clear his head but where would he go and how, Fenrir was locked up somewhere due to have the scratches waxed and polished away.

"Is Vincent...?"

"He's downstairs, Marlene won't leave him alone, think he's getting a little frustrated but it's good for him," she glanced up at him, all smiles and bright eyes, he frowned and glanced away, finding the floor with his gaze, she huffed slightly, "maybe you'll tell him what happened..." she went to stand clearly disheartened and hurt, Cloud sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the words he uttered were out before he even had a chance to think about them and they were the only ones he didn't want to say, didn't want to admit to, not yet, though there they were, he couldn't take them back no matter how hard he tried.

"Zack... It was Zack," He hid his eyes from her because she'd always been too good at reading him and there was nothing in them now that he wanted her reading from.

"Cloud... Zack? As in Zack Fair? SOLDIER first class," he nodded, his hands clenching into fists at his side, "he's... he's... dead Cloud, you know that, it doesn't make any sense, maybe it was someone who looked like him... maybe..."

"It was Zack, Tifa, there's no doubt in my mind of that, as much as I'm trying to pretend there is, he attacked me, something's wrong... I have to find him..." he went to move her words stopped him,

"Why would he attack you Cloud, he looked after you, you were friends... close... weren't you?" he nodded because for some reason he thought his voice might fail him. His mind fell back to the sands outside Edge, harsh and unforgiving, Zack walking away and the flash of red that had called him away.

"Someone was with him, giving him orders..." Cloud remembered, the words but a whisper slipping from his tongue, he knew Tifa was finding it hard to believe, if he hadn't seen it himself he wouldn't have believed a word of it, a cruel joke, it's what it felt like in the pit of his stomach.

"Who Cloud? What's going on Zack wouldn't do this to a friend..." she fell silent for a moment, "if he's dangerous Cloud... what will you do?" The words struck him like a sword through the heart, he hadn't even thought of that, how could he fight against Zack if it came to it, could he kill him if it meant saving the world,

_No..._

He thought he heart would snap at the very thought, Tifa's hand on his uninjured shoulder offered none of the comfort it was supposed to and he found himself desperate to pull away from it, she smiled, warm and loving, that was Tifa, dependable, caring, beautiful, why couldn't he make himself feel anything more than sisterly affection for the woman?

"Come on, let's get you a drink we'll talk to Vincent he may have heard something on his way over here, you know Vincent always got an ear to the ground that man." She chuckled and grabbed the other's hand leading him gingerly down into the bar, he let himself be guided, succumbing to her wishes if only until Fenrir was fixed.

_Well then... that's that, well for now, ;) I hope you enjoyed and that the characters were in character... save for Zack . like he'd ever do that! Lol but yeah hope it was ok and that you'll be back for the next chapter, thank you for your time and you know.... review? Please?_


	2. Chapter 2

"_Can't you shut him up, he won't stop screaming," the man rubbed his brow, "I don't see why you even brought him here... I know, I know I don't see the bigger picture, it's a little fucked up if you ask me," cold hand on soft warm flesh, a whispered name the meaning fading in the air, _

The look in Vincent's eyes was distant, haunted, yet he swore he knew nothing, Cloud pushed no further simply because he didn't see any reason for the other to lie. He sighed and unintentionally ignored Marlene when she attempted to show off her new dress, Tifa smiled and whispered something he couldn't hear, whatever it had been it seemed to please the girl and she disappeared upstairs. Cloud itched to go, to solve the mystery that burnt ferociously in his mind; he had an idea of where to go, he'd go see Rufus Shinra, not a lot seemed to escape the eyes of the president or his little red haired Turk, Reno seemed to have a knack for knowing everyone else's business.

"Do you know when Fenrir will be fixed?" Cloud asked meeting Tifa's wine coloured eyes, she sighed and slumped against the bar somewhat,

"In an hour or so, planning on going somewhere, I have to be honest you're not really up for it," the door closed with a gentle click and sometimes she wondered why she bothered, Cloud never listened, she cared so much about him, would give anything to see him smile but he was so distant, even when he was there it was like he wasn't, like you could reach straight through him, the blonde was becoming a shadow of himself and there was nothing she could do to stop it, she smashed her fist into the bar; Vincent placed his hand over the appendage,

"He has to do this," the dark haired man explained, "you have to let him," she nodded but she didn't want to, she hated herself for it but part of her wished that Zack Fair had stayed dead.

_XxxxXxxxX_

Fenrir roared as he started her up and she glimmered like when she had been brand new, a smile tinged his lips, he handed over the gil like it was paper.

It didn't take him long to get to where Rufus Shinra resided, pushing the door open as if it weighed next to nothing, as had became customary for Reno he charged at the blonde whom avoided the attack easily, the red head slammed non to gracefully into the door. Rude bit his lip to hold back the chuckle, the President did not, he walked towards the blonde, smiling all the way, like a con man trying to sell him low level Materia for far too much.

"Not that it's not good to see you Cloud but what is it that brings you here?" Rufus asks all charm and smiles, Reno groans behind him and Cloud can feel the half hearted glare the red head throws at him.

"What do you know about Zack Fair?" The three fall silent, eyes furrow with confusion, Rude and Reno share a glance of worry before ghosting it over Cloud,

"He's... dead... you know that..." Reno all but whispers his voice seems to waver somewhat and Cloud worries his brow over the emotion.

"Surely you of all people remember that, now anyway," Rufus comments and Cloud snarled causing a perfectly arched eyebrow to rise, the elder male smiled. The blonde clenched his fists, he had no reservations to punching Rufus Shinra in the nose, he deserved it, if not for this then the things that had gone before.

"I saw him," Cloud ground out between clenched teeth, "he's very much alive... how?" the Mako tinged the sapphire blue eyes and reminded Rufus of just how dangerous the boy could be, he subdued somewhat and shook his head.

"It's news to me," he sighed and sat down in a nearby chair, "Last I heard Zack Fair was dead, that was a long time ago, I've heard nothing of him since. It was a shame though; he was a good SOLDIER, one of the best,"

_There was a hand on his shoulder, warm and familiar, it moulded perfectly to his shoulder blade, like it had been designed to fit there, that's how he knew who it was, each and every time, even if it was a brief touch as the other had ghosted past. It sent a shiver tumbling down his spine that he'd struggle to understand for years to come. Then there was that smile, the one that could melt any feeling of angst to nothing in the very pit of his stomach. _

"Zack was our buddy Cloud, you don't go playing with this sort of thing," Reno was pinned to the wall before the last word even fell from his lips, dangerous Mako blue eyes burning into his own aquamarine orbs.

"He was _my _friend, you think I'd lie about something like this... you didn't know Zack, you never knew any of us, none of you. All too high and mighty to stare the grunts in the eye and ask them their name, the same grunts you sent to kill us both..." Reno met his eyes in that instance, a fire burning dangerously in the emerald depths,

"I think you'll find we were on our way to get you, Tseng and I, we're not the monsters in your fairytale Cloud, if you're looking for someone to blame maybe you should look a little closer to home," he took the punch, his lip splitting under the force of the blow,

"Enough, both of you," Rufus demanded as Rude began to pry the two males apart, "whatever is going on Cloud you have my word none of us know anything about it, but should the information become available to me I will pass it onto you immediately," With little more than a nod of understanding the blonde was gone, nothing but the sound of a door slamming in his wake, Rufus' eyes fell on Reno, "Just what was that about?" the red head mumbled under his breath and stormed off into the back room, Rude merely shrugged at the enquiring look the president passed at him.

_XxxxXxxxX_

The walls of Seventh Heaven seemed to shake with his bottled rage, he sat in his office, fists clenched the phone lying off its hook by his side, he had exhausted every line of inquiry he had at his disposal and nobody knew anything. His eyes ghosted to the drawer of his desk, slightly ajar, he pulled it open, delving his hand into the jumble of mismatched objects that few would understand, his hands gripped at a small metallic object, lifting it from the tangled recesses of the drawer.

It was a locket, simple enough, square shaped, engraved with beautiful and yet meaningless designs, a small chip of a Materia sealed forever in the back, it had been Zack's mothers, that's what he had said, it was for luck and protection he remembered the elders words as if he had spoken them just yesterday, _"it'll keep you safe" _he had whispered as he had slipped it from himself to clip it around Cloud's neck, ruffling his hair. He ran his gloved thumb over the engraving; Cloud was never really sure why Zack had given it to him, fleeing from ShinRa in a rushed and broken moment of calm. It was one of the very few things Cloud remembered clearly from those days, even if Zack hadn't known, Cloud absorbed every word, every emotion from that moment, if only that.

The door creaked open, slowly, Cloud clenched his fist essentially hiding the locket from view, it was his to stare at, his to remember and he wanted to share it with no one. It was Tifa, who destroyed his silent reverie, slipping into the room and pushing the door closed with the weight of her body as she leant against it,

"Do you want something to eat Cloud? You've been up here for hours," she all but whispered into the darkness, the locket in his hand seemed to be burning into his flesh,

"_It'll keep you safe" that smile, everything would be alright, "we're friends... right?" _

_Blood too much blood, it stuck to his face, engrained in his hair staining the blonde in some sort of morbid twisted reminder of that moment, he couldn't touch it the very concept made him feel sick, his mind fogged, the Buster Sword weighed heavy in his hands... "Zack..." that was all he knew, that and pain, a scream torn from his lips for something that blurred away with each day, forgotten in a sea of Mako that ate away his memories._

"Cloud?" her voice bled with worry, she reached out to him, her hand hovering mere centimetres above where his shoulder was, she pulled it back as if it had been burnt. "You should at least come down for a bit, it's not good for you to be cooped up in here by yourself all the time,"

"I'm fine Tifa, I've got... work to do..." she noticed the small intricate chain that dangled from his closed hand, briefly thought about asking about it but knew that it would be best not to, something's Cloud liked to keep to himself, those treasured memories that he could just about remember now, gone for so long, he needed them more than the blood that pumped through his veins.

"Oh... I'll just be going now then..." she stuttered softly, the door creaking back open and he let her go in silence because anything he had said in that moment would only of hurt her more and he'd given Tifa enough pain to last several of her lifetimes. He hadn't meant to cause any of it but he had nevertheless. He had heard her at night, on the rare occasion when he got back late and she had departed to her room rather than wait up for him, he had heard her crying softly to herself. He had just turned and left because there was nothing in himself that he could use to comfort another human being anymore; it had left him in rain and the desert sands, in blood that sometimes he could still feel on his skin, thick and warm.

Zack Fair had died for him, protecting him, Cloud couldn't understand why he had done it, he closed his eyes against the tears that stung the backs of his eyes.

Then there had been the Zack he had seen yesterday, he looked exactly as he had and it had broken more than a rib when the elder had lashed out at him, what it was though Cloud wasn't entirely sure. Yet he knew that all he had wanted to do was to embrace the elder, to have been held by him and he didn't understand the desire at all.

_XxxxXxxxX_

"Why did he look at me like that?" the raven haired man asked, tossing his sword at the wall as if the hilt was stinging his hand, the woman glanced up at him from behind her glasses, she merely shrugged checking Weiss' vitals and placing her clipboard back in its slot at the foot of the bed.

"Who are we talking about exactly?" she asked, her blonde hair brushing against the deep red that painted her lips, several strands became coated in the crimson gloss and the violet eyed man found her face changing before his eyes, there were tears and a scream, longer face still holding the faintest trace of baby fat, brown eyes turned to sparkling sapphire and Zack lashed out at the wall, the face returning to that of the woman stood before him. "What was that about? Don't tell me you're freaking out again, I've had just about enough of the lot of you, far too high maintenance," she smirked and stalked past him, "lose your master on the way home?"

"He had something to do," and as an afterthought, "he's not my master, and don't change the subject?" he chased her down the hallway where she stood before a door, bolted and locked,

"What? Oh you mean Cloud Strife don't you?" she smirked more to herself than to anyone else, "how exactly did he look at you? Begging for mercy?" she folded her arms across her chest seeming completely uninterested in what the other had to say, Zack seemed puzzled by the question,

"No...Well... it was sort of like... like he remembered me, like I was a ghost he'd been waiting for years to see," she turned to face the door before he could see the shadow of worry that flickered across her eyes, she hoped her boss knew nothing of these troubles that plagued the dark haired man, he would not be pleased if he knew and she would ultimately suffer for it.

"You probably mistook it for desperation, or he was trying to confuse you, he's tricky like that, he'll try and convince you of anything to save his skin. Just... don't be affected by it, it's a trick Zack, remember what we told you about him, he killed Sephiroth, he's not stable, it'd be best to bring him here for tests so we can establish the threat we're dealing with." She smiled, shimmering red lips sparkling in the dim lighting; he nodded, smiling softly,

"Sorry, guess it's just been a long day," she placed her hand on his shoulder gently,

"Go get some rest, in my opinion this was too early for you to be going on a field mission, you're still too weak... no arguments Zack, go get some sleep whilst you can." He disappeared and her smile fell into a grimace placing the 6 digit code into the lock and slipping through the gap as the door rolled back.

"AKANE!" she grimaced as her name echoed throughout the building, she figured that she was in trouble and she was fairly certain she knew exactly what it was about. Zack and Cloud, she wasn't entirely sure what he wanted her to do about the whole situation, emotions were tricky things and she wasn't very good with her own let alone rewriting others. Her dark scarlet nails raked through her hair, she wasn't Hojo, she couldn't work miracles it just so happened she'd stumbled into the job where miracles were expected daily.

She smiled at the red haired male as he found her in the corridors, distorted look across his perfect features, he did not look happy; he gripped her collar, pushed her up against the wall and glared down at her.

"You haven't done your job properly have you? Hope I'm not going to have to find some sort of leverage to get you to obey by the rules." She pulled herself from his grasp, rolling her eyes,

"I misinterpreted his feelings; it won't happen again, he seems satisfied with the answer I gave him today, maybe if you told me what was going on things like this wouldn't happen." She brushed off her lab coat and turned to head down the corridor.

"Maybe, still, it had better not happen again, you're not irreplaceable Miss Stone," she shuddered involuntarily at the tone that he used, he disappeared into the darkness and she merely stared after him feeling all the world like a helpless child.

XxxxXxxxxX

_Ok so I didn't really check through this that much I wrote it a while ago and then my computer killed itself and thankfully they managed to salvage all my stuff even if it was gone for what felt like forever... so if there are mistakes take them with a pinch of salt this once please this was basically just written for my own entertainment and I then decided to post it so I know it's not perfect... next chapter will be better I promise... _


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you all for your kind words, they literally made my day ^_^, anyway without further ado here is the third chapter I hope you enjoy and once again I apologise for any mistakes have checked but I always think one or two make it through ..._

_XxxxXxxxXxxxxX_

_Angel wings and such a familiar face and it all ebbed away, like water eroding stone, everything just seemed to melt away. After that it had all been needles and ghosts of memories fading to nothingness as he tried to grip onto them like grains of sand slipping from his hands. _

Tifa smiled warmly at Cloud when he joined herself, Marlene and Denzel at the kitchen table, he looked tired and paler than usual, the two kids held their tongues and continued munching on their cereal as Tifa handed Cloud a cup of tea. She made a small joke, hoping to chase away the haunted look in his eyes; he barely managed a smile that didn't even come close to meeting his eyes. She sat in her chair and said no more,

"Are you heading out today?" she asked, more for the need to break the silence for the children than for anything else.

"No," he mumbled staring at his tea like it had the answers to the questions that plagued him so; she feared the mug would break under the grip of his hands. "I don't know where to go, I'm lost Tifa, there's nowhere else to turn... but... I just... I can't give up... you wouldn't understand,"

"Of course I do, you were friends, like we're friends," he nodded, "Vincent said he'd keep an ear out and let us know if he heard anything, people don't just disappear Cloud, we'll find him," she said, smiling kindly in a way that reminded him of Aeris, the kids just listened eagerly, not understanding but wanting to know what was going on all the same.

"I might go out there, just for a bit," she smiled, the sorrow in her eyes purely for him and he couldn't stand to see it, she caught sight of the same intricate silver chain from last night glistening against the blonde's neck, the pendant hidden once again, this time by the shirt that hid the skin just above his heart. She wondered what it was, what it meant and why he chose to brandish it now after all these years of having it hidden away. He caught her staring and she ripped her gaze away like a child that had been caught stealing from the cookie jar.

They didn't speak for the rest of the morning,

_XxxxXxxxX_

Cloud found himself standing at Zack's grave later that day, his fingers traced the hilt of the Buster Sword that stood proudly before him and he could remember Zack's hand closing over his own as he had handed it to him, the moment burnt in the blonde's heart and he collapsed to his knees before the sword, the events of the past few days and the emotions that seemed to follow them wearing him down as the rust sought to wear through the sword before him.

He was lost in memories when his phone began to ring, loud and unsettling in the silence of the desert, he flipped it open and offered an indignant _'what' _to whoever had dared to interrupt his reflection.

"Chill out will you, it's Reno, have some information for you if you're interested, meet you at seventh heaven in an hour yeah? Oh and Cloud you're getting the drinks in," the line went dead before the blonde had even had a chance to agree or decline and for several moments he just stared at the phone with a curious look on his face. Had Reno found Zack, did they know what was going on? Was everything going to be ok, back to normal? He bit his lip, he knew Tifa wouldn't be particularly fond of this meeting happening in her bar, not that she didn't like Reno but he was a bit of a pest and she was probably in no mood to deal with him at this point in time.

_XxxxXxxxX_

The bar was silent when he stalked in, Tifa was busily cleaning glasses and stocking up, her eyes kept wandering to a certain booth in the corner that Cloud could not see, he immediately knew it was where Reno was sat, flash of bright red hair contrasting in the pallid tones of Seventh Heaven, he slipped into the booth with the red head silently, Reno smirked up at him cigarette poised in his hands. Cloud's eyes rolled,

"Tifa doesn't like smoking in here," the blonde stated, Reno merely shrugged,

"She didn't say anything,"

"Guess she thought the signs were self explanatory," he sighed softly, "what do you want Reno," the red head smirked, straight to business just how he liked it, he ruffled in his jacket pocket, tossed a handful of pictures at the blonde, Cloud raised an eyebrow and Reno offered a motion that told him to simply look. The blue eyed male obliged lifting the pictures and glancing at them,

"They were taken a couple of days ago at the old Mako Reactor in Fort Condor, a familiar face eh? You don't know what I had to do to get hold of these, the places I had to go, makes my skin crawl," he chuckled, "ok maybe only a little bit," Cloud's fingers traced the outline of the man dressed in black, a smile on his lips as he had seemingly turned to face the camera, it was Zack there was no doubt about that, he was dressed differently, but other than that it was Zack. He was vaguely aware of Reno silently studying him; his fingers fluttered away from his friend's outline, the picture falling wordlessly back onto the table,

"What was he doing there?" Cloud asked, he registered that Tifa had moved closer to where they were sat, busying herself with things that didn't need doing,

"Honestly, I don't really know, it's little more than rubble, we sent out some Turks to have a search, we'll let you know when we know something." Reno seemed to think for a moment, stubbed his cigarette out in his empty glass and ran a hand over his face; he looked tired, "Cloud, when you saw him ... how was he?"

"Strange," Cloud whispered without hesitation, Reno's aquamarine eyes waited for more of an explanation, sapphire eyes tinged with Mako rolled, "he attacked me, I don't know why," he looked distant, almost wounded, deeper than merely physical, Reno stood, squeezed Cloud's shoulder in a comforting gesture and smiled down at the blonde,

"We'll work it out, whatever's going on, we'll fix it," for once the look in the aquamarine depths seemed honest and caring and as the hand slipped away from his shoulder Cloud whispered a 'thank you' that only Reno would have been able to hear, the Turk disappeared with a soft smile on his lips. The photo's lay in front of Cloud, discarded and cold, he began to flick through them, images of Zack overwhelming his senses, flaring his memories.

_XxxxXxxxX_

_Cloud had been staring at the stars, silently marvelling at the beauty of them, a weight slumped against his shoulder, warm, calming and oh so familiar, soft raven spikes grazed the side of his face, the younger chuckled as they tickled against his flesh, _

"_What you doing out here by yourself?" The honey edged voice asked, soft and melodic in the stillness of the night, Cloud smiled and sighed softly, _

"_Getting a bit of air... Sir," the raven haired man chuckled, glancing over at Cloud and ruffling the blonde spikes, _

"_Don't call me that Spiky, makes me feel old," Zack had chuckled, pulling the boys head closer to him, "It's nice out here," he mumbled, breathing in deeply, Cloud could feel the elder's chest move beneath his head, hear the heart beating, "makes me feel all philosophical," Cloud had chuckled into the elders chest, the raven haired man had gasped in mock offence, "are you laughing at me Cloud?" he lifted the other's face, staring into sapphire blue eyes, for the briefest of moment there was just silence, a small blush graced the younger's cheeks as he pulled away from Zack's grasp. _

"_Only a little, wasn't aware philosophy was your department," Zack smirked and shrugged, gently nudging Cloud's shoulder with his own, they both laughed softly falling into a comfortable silence, _

"_Guess it's not really, but being round you makes me a lot of things that I'm not usually," he smiled that trademark smile and Cloud felt all his worries disappear, Zack had always made him feel at ease, feel safe, cared for. _

_XxxxXxxxX_

"Cloud?" Tifa's hand was waving in front of his face trying to draw his attention, he left his memories to meet her eyes, she sat opposite him, smiling, her hands grasped for the pictures, flicking through them, Cloud let the one in his hand fall into his lap before she caught sight of it.

"He doesn't look different," she mumbled, Cloud smiled wistfully,

"No," the word all but a whisper from numb lips, "there's something wrong though, he wouldn't attack me Tifa, never, he saved me, a lot, died for me..." she placed her hand gently over his,

"You can't blame yourself," she explained, squeezing gently, there was a look in his eyes, desperate and haunted and she wanted so much to chase it away, she knew there was only one person that could do that and it wasn't her, not even close, "you're going again, aren't you?" she asked, pulling her hand away and placing it in her lap, he nodded and she bit her bottom lip.

"He's going to the Mako reactors, I don't know why; maybe if I can cut him off at one I'll be able to find out what's going on, get him to remember." Tifa growled softly, lashing out at the table with her fist, Cloud's eyes narrowed at the outburst.

"What if you can't Cloud? Have you even asked yourself that, what if this is who he is now? What if he's your enemy, completely aware of what he's doing?" she yelled, staring him directly in the eyes, "what if you have to kill him, can you do that Cloud, if you had to, if there was no other option could you kill Zack Fair?" The look in his eyes should have been answer enough but she pushed for a verbal answer,

"No, I don't think I could, but I don't believe that I'd have to," he explained standing and heading for the door, Tifa grabbed his wrist stopping him in his tracks,

"I'm coming with you then, you might need help, we can meet up with Vincent in Junon, head out from there, and don't argue with me Cloud Strife, it'll be best for you to have back up, even if you don't need it," he sighed but didn't argue with her,

"Call me when you find Vincent, I'll come to you," he explained and left the door swinging in the wind, she sighed and ran her hand through her hair. Hoping she could get a little more back up than just herself and Vincent on such short notice, if Cloud couldn't bring himself to kill Zack even if it was needed then she'd feel a lot safer having people in their group that wouldn't be so biased, should the need arise for such action.

_XxxxXxxxX_

Cloud relaxed the minute he hit the desert sands on Fenrir, he felt like he could breathe again, the stress and tension from the previous few days melting away from him almost instantly. His mind fogged briefly, the feel of the wind lashing at his face so familiar, like when Zack had saved him from Hojo, speeding away from the ShinRa army,

"_Hey don't be angry..." he could vaguely register the feel of muscle below where his hand was being held, warm and strong and purely Zack, Cloud wanted to touch to be able to grasp with his own will but he stayed content in the forced contact, all that he had when he was trapped inside his own mind, "There's no way that I would ever leave my friend behind..." _

Cloud's eyes blinked back to life and he made a promise to himself in that moment, to get Zack back no matter what the cost to himself, it was the least he could do after everything that Zack had sacrificed for him.

XxxxXxxxXxxxxX

_One of those annoying filler chapter neh? Next chapter will be more interesting I promise, anyhoo let me know what you thought, I'm hoping that I'm showing you aspects of all characters and how they're feeling and if you're missing Zack well he won't stay gone for long... _


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